Lesson 22: May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You.
www.bible.com/bible/59/psa.25

O Lord of hosts! O God, when the husbandman had sown good seed in his field, his enemy came while he slept and sowed tares among the wheat, so that when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan came also among them (Job 1). Wherever Jesus is, there will the devil be found near at hand, as alas, I have observed in my short time.

Your saving word, Your gracious gospel, which is the proper food of my soul imparting to it the power of eternal life which has been trampled upon for so many years by antichrist as an idle tale and a useless fabrication, is again received, believed, and acknowledged, in power, by some through the influence of Your compassionate favor. The hellish lion or behemoth roars now in excessive rage. He walks about seeking to devour them, has no rest, nor repose, knowing well that his kingdom and dominion must decline and be destroyed. He makes use of all his cunning and subtlety and transforms himself into an angel of light. Those whom he has lost through Your word he has allured again by false doctrine into his snare and net, and has changed the pure, salutary sense of the Scriptures, by means of false prophets and unskillful teachers, into a meaning entirely carnal and completely calculated to mislead.

O Lord! preserve me pure and upright in Your truth, that I may neither believe nor teach anything that is not in conformity with Your holy will and word, with true faith, sincere love, real baptism and supper, a blameless life, a scriptural separation from such as cause offence in doctrine and in life. Preserve me, gracious Lord, from all error and heresy.


Preserve me as You have done until now in Your mercy. Grant that I and my beloved brethren may seek, love, and fear You with all our hearts. For this, says Paul, is good and acceptable in Your sight. Preserve us from the wiles of the devil who would teach us of another king after the spirit beside the true King of Zion, Jesus Christ, who rules over Your holy mountain with the iron scepter of Your word. He alone is King of kings and Lord of lords, is set at Your own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.

Under His feet all things are put, who has all power in heaven and on earth, before whom every knee must bow, and every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of Your great name. O gracious Lord, let integrity and uprightness preserve me under Your cross, that I may not deny You and Your holy word in the time of temptation, nor conceal Your divine truth and will under the mask of hypocrisy, lies, and obscure equivocal expressions, so that at the appearance of Your dear Son, my Lord Jesus Christ, I may receive with all saints the promised kingdom, inheritance, and reward which, with firm assurance and perfect confidence, we daily hope, and expect, as the consequence of Your gracious promise.